Utensils and products used for cleaning in the home tend to also become contaminated through their application. Some, such as paper towels, are discarded after a single use, while others, such as sponges and mops, may be used several times before being disposed of. Used sponges, in particular, because of the nature of their irregular, porous, pitted, and moist surfaces, and their large surface to volume ratios, along with the presence of organic waste, may accumulate a large amount of infectious, toxic or noxious contaminants, including harmful bacteria and molds, which are hard to reach and are therefore hard to remove, disinfect or neutralize. If these sponges could be totally immersed in an antiseptic disinfectant fluid for a period of time between uses, they would be significantly decontaminated, thus making them safer, less infectious and extending their period of usefulness. Various sponge holders and containers are currently in use, but many of them either do not involve sanitizing or disinfecting the sponge, or they require complex sanitizing mechanisms which too narrowly restrict the dimensions and type of sponges which can be used compatibly with these sanitizing containers.